Daf 48a (דַּף מ״ח ע״א)

But this verse should have been written thus: “And Hashem appointed Yonah to the fish,” for it is He who sent it (אֲבָל הַאי קְרָא הָכִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ: וַיְמַן יְיָ׳ אֶת יוֹנָה לַדָּג, דְּהוּא מָנָה הוּא דִּמְשַׁדֵּר לֵיהּ). Rather, surely that fish had been appointed for Yonah (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי: הַהוּא דָּג הוּא הֲוָה מָנָה לְיוֹנָה), to guard him from other fish of the sea (לְנַטְרָא לֵיהּ מִן שְׁאַר נוּנֵי יַמָּא), and to be hidden within it (וְיֵהֲוֵי גָּנִיז בְּגַוֵּיהּ). And when he entered into it, Yonah saw inside its belly the width of the sea-place (וְכֵיוָן דְּאַעֲלֵיהּ בְּגַוֵּיהּ, חָמָא יוֹנָה בְּמֵעֵיהּ פוּתְיָא דְּאַתַּר יַמָּא), some say: the breadth of the inner space (נ״א: פותיא דְּאַתַּר דְּמֵעֵוהּ), like a great palace (כְּמוֹ הֵיכְלָא רַבְרְבָא), and the two eyes of that fish shone like the sun (וּתְרֵין עֵינוֹי דְּהַהוּא נוּנָא דְּנָהֲרִין כְּשִׁמְשָׁא), and there was a precious stone in its belly which gave light (וְאֶבֶן טוֹבָה הֲוָה בְּמֵעֵיהּ דְּנָהִיר לֵיהּ), and he saw all that was in the sea and its depths (וַהֲוָה חָמֵי כָּל מַה דִּי בְּיַמָּא וּבִתְהוֹמוֹי). And if you say, if so, what is the meaning of “I cried out in my distress”? (Jonah 2) (וְאִי תֵּימָא: אִי הָכִי, מַה דִּכְתִּיב: קָרָאתִי מִצָּרָה לִי) wasn’t he not distressed, for he had all that space? (הָא לָא אִתְחָזֵי, דְּכָל הַאי רְוָחָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ).

Rather, surely, when that fish showed Yonah all that was in the sea and its depths, he grew faint, for he could not endure it for three days (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי, כֵּיוָן דְּאַחְמֵי לֵיהּ הַהוּא נוּנָא כָּל מַה דִּי בְּיַמָּא וּבִתְהוֹמוֹי, מֵית, דְּלָא יָכִיל תְּלַת יוֹמִין לְמִסְבַּל). Then Yonah groaned (כְּדֵין עָקַת לֵיהּ לְיוֹנָה). As Rabbi El'azar said (דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): when Yonah saw all that vastness, he rejoiced (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא יוֹנָה כָּל הַהוּא רְוָחָא, הֲוָה חַדֵּי). Kudsha Berikh Hu said, “And what more do you seek, that I brought you here?” (אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא: וּמַה תִּבְעֵי יַתִּיר, לְהָא אֲעִילְנָא לָךְ הָכָא). What did He do? He killed that fish and it died (מָה עֲבַד קָטַל לְהַהוּא נוּנָא וּמֵית), and all the fish of the sea circled around it-this one bit it from this side, and that one from the other side (וְכָל שְׁאַר נוּנֵי יַמָּא הֲווֹ סַחֲרֵי סַחֲרָנִיָּהּ דְּהַהוּא נוּנָא-דָּא נָשִׁיךְ לֵיהּ מֵהַאי גִּיסָא, וְדָּא נָשִׁיךְ לֵיהּ מֵהַאי גִּיסָא).

Then Yonah saw himself pressed (כְּדֵין חָמָא יוֹנָה גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּעָקוּ), and immediately: “And Yonah prayed to Hashem” (Jonah 2) (מִיָּד: וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל יוֹנָה אֶל יְיָ׳). At first it was a dag [male fish], but now it is dagah [female fish]-as it says: “And the fish that were in the river died” (Exodus 7) (בְּקַדְּמִיתָא דָּג, וְהַשְׁתָּא דָּגָה, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: וְהַדָּגָה אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאֹר מֵתָה). And then it is written: “I cried out from my distress” (וּכְדֵין כְּתִיב: קָרָאתִי מִצָּרָה לִי) it does not say: I was in distress or I dwelled in distress (וְלָא כְּתִיב: הָיִיתִי בַּצָּרָה, אוֹ יָשַׁבְתִּי בַּצָּרָה), but I cried out-from the pressing caused by the fish of the sea (אֶלָּא: קָרָאתִי-מֵהַהוּא עָקוּ דְּעָאֲקִין לִי נוּנֵי יַמָּא). “From the belly of Sheol I cried out”-for he was dead (מִבֶּטֶן שְׁאוֹל שִׁוַּעְתִּי: דְּהָא מֵית).

It does not say from the belly of a living one or from the belly of a fish, but surely, he had died (וְלָא כְּתִיב: מִבֶּטֶן חַי, אוֹ מִבֶּטֶן דָּג-אֶלָּא דְּוַדַּאי הֲוָה מֵית). Once he prayed his prayer (כֵּיוָן דְּצַלֵּי צְלוֹתֵיהּ), Kudsha Berikh Hu accepted him (קַבִּיל לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and revived that fish (וְאַחְיֵיהּ לֵיהּ לְהַאי נוּנָא), and brought him forth to the dry land before the eyes of all (וְאַפִּיק לֵיהּ לְיַבֶּשְׁתָּא לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכֹלָּא). As it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), “And Hashem spoke to the fish, and it vomited Yonah” (וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ' לַדָּג וַיָּקֵא אֶת יוֹנָה) (Jonah 2). And all saw (וְחָמוּ כֻּלְּהוּ), the deed of Kudsha Berikh Hu (עֲבִידְתָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). What is written (מַה כְּתִיב), “And Yonah prayed to Hashem his God from the belly of the fish” (וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל יוֹנָה אֶל יְיָ' אֱלֹהָיו מִמְּעֵי הַדָּגָה), at the place in which he was bound (לַאֲתָר דְּהֲוָה קָשִׁיר בֵּיהּ).

It implies from the verse “Hashem his God” (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִּיב יְיָ' אֱלֹהָיו), and it does not say “to Hashem” and nothing more (וְלָא כְּתִיב וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֶל יְיָ' וְלָא יַתִּיר), rather “Hashem his God” (אֶלָּא יְיָ' אֱלֹהָיו). So too here (אוּף הָכָא), “And Hashem said to Moshe: Why do you cry to Me” (וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה מַה תִּצְעַק אֵלָי), “to Me” precisely (אֵלָי דַּיְיקָא). “Speak to the Children of Yisrael and let them journey” (דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִּסָעוּ). “Let them journey”-away from prolonging words (וְיִּסָעוּ מִלְּאַסְגָּאָה מִלִּין), for now is not the time for prayer (לָאו עִידָנָא דִּצְלוֹתָא הַשְׁתָּא). “Let them journey”-but to where were they commanded to go (וְיִּסָעוּ, וְכִי לְאָן אֲתָר פָּקִד לוֹן דְּיִנְטְלוּן), for they were situated by the sea (דְּהָא עַל יַמָּא הֲווֹ שָׁרָאן). Rather, return upward (אֶלָּא אַהְדָּר לְעֵילָּא), as it is written “Why do you cry to Me” (דִּכְתִּיב מַה תִּצְעַק אֵלָי), for they are all standing in this place (דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוּ בַּאֲתָר דָּא קַיְימֵי).

And concerning this, “let them journey”-they must depart from here (וְעַל דָּא וַיִּסְעוּ, יִנְטְלוּן מִן דָּא), for this is not the time (דְּלָאו עִדָנָא הוּא). Some say: rather, the matter depends upon Atik (ס״א אֶלָּא בְּעַתִּיקָא תַּלְיָא מִלְתָּא). (Exodus 14) “And you, lift up your staff and so forth” (וְאַתָּה הָרֵם אֶת מַטְּךָ וְגוֹ'). “Lift up your staff,” in which is inscribed the Holy Name (הָרֵם אֶת מַטְּךָ, דִּי בֵּיהּ רָשִׁים שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), stretch out your hand in the direction of the Holy Name (אַרְכִּין יְדָךְ בְּסִטְרָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), and once the waters see the Holy Name (וְכֵיוָן דִּיֶחמוּן מַיָּא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), they will flee from it (יָעַרְקוּן מִנֵּיהּ). And from before it-some say: from before Him (וּמִקַמֵיה, נ״א: קמיה). And on account of this (וְעַל דָּא), “stretch out your hand,” to one direction (וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ לְסִטְרָא חֲדָא), for the other sides of that staff will be needed for other matters (דְּסִטְרִין אַחֲרָנִין דְּהַהוּא מַטֶּה אִצְטְרִיךְ לָךְ לְמַיִּין אַחֲרָנִין). Some say: for him for other words (נ״א: לֵיהּ לְמִלִּין).

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), I have seen that sometimes this staff is called “the staff of HaElohim” (חֲמֵינָא, דְּזִמְנִין אִתְקְרֵי הַאי מַטֶּה מַטֵּה הָאֱלֹהִים), and sometimes it is called “the staff of Moshe” (וּלְזִמְנִין אִתְקְרֵי מַטֵּה דְּמֹשֶׁה).

Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): they are two, and so we have established (תְּרֵי הוו וְהֲכִי אוּקִימְנָא), in the book of Rav Hamnuna Sava (בְּסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא), he said well (שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַר), that they are all one (דְּכֻלְּהוּ חַד), whether you say it is Kudsha Berikh Hu or whether you say it is Moshe (בֵּין תֵּימָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּבֵין תֵּימָא דְּמֹשֶׁה), and this staff is to awaken the side of Gevurah (וְהַאי מַטֶּה לְאַתְעֲרָא סִטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה). And concerning this: “And stretch out your hand” (וְעַל דָּא: וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ) the left hand (יְדָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא), which is from the side of Gevurah (דְּאִיהוּ בְּסִטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה).

Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): woe to those who have not seen and do not look into the Orayta (וַוֵי לְאִינוּן דְּלָא חָמָאן וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), and the Orayta calls before them every day (וְאוֹרַיְּיתָא קָאָרֵי קָמַיְיהוּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא), some say: and they do not know (ס״א: וְלָא יָדְעִין), and they pay no heed (וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), from the side of Gevurah the waters are aroused in the world (בְּסִטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה מִתְעָרֵי מַיָּא בְּעָלְמָא), and waters emerge (וְנָפְקֵי מַיָּא). And now Kudsha Berikh Hu seeks to dry up the waters (וְהַשְׁתָּא בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְנַגְבָּא מַיָּא) why “and stretch out your hand”, which is the left (אֲמַאי: וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ, דְּאִיהוּ שְׂמָאלָא)? Rather: “Lift up your staff”, to dry the waters (אֶלָּא: הָרֵם אֶת מַטְּךָ לְנַגְבָּא מַיָּא). “And stretch out your hand”, to bring back the waters (וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ לְאָתָבָא מַיָּא), to awaken the side of Gevurah (לְאַתְעֲרָא סִטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה), and to return the waters upon Egypt (וּלְאָתָבָא מַיָּא עַל מִצְרָיִם). And therefore (וּבְגִין כַּךְ), there are two words here (תְּרֵין מִלִּין הָכָא), as it is written: “Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it” [Exodus 14] (דִּכְתִּיב: הָרֵם אֶת מַטְּךָ וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ עַל הַיָּם וּבְקָעֵהוּ).